A CATASTROPHIC drop in the cryptocurrency market led to an almost $300 million loss in liquidations this week.
Bitcoin prices, in particular, dropped by as much as $3,000 early Tuesday, though it is slightly back up over the past 24 hours as of Thursday morning.
Plus, “futures on ether, the native currency of the Ethereum network, saw over $57 million in liquidations,” Coindesk reported.
Other major coins, such as Solana and Terra, also saw losses, the outlet reported. Shiba Inu and Dogecoin have also been down over the past week as of Thursday.
Meanwhile, Ethereum, Decentraland, and Basic Attention are all tokens that some experts think are poised for rebounds in 2022.
Contributors at Motley Fool think those three cryptocurrencies could see gains next year no matter what else happens with the highly volatile market.
“Ethereum stands out as a great crypto for 2022 and beyond,” the outlet noted, but the site thinks BAT and Decentraland are good bets, too.
Read our cryptocurrency live blog for the latest news and updates…
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How to create, buy and sell NFTs, part three
Buying an NFT, like any collectible, is a risky bet on the value going up.
If there is no demand for the NFT you buy, then you could end up paying a large amount for something that declines in value or that you cannot sell.
NFTs are still a new market so there is unlikely to be the same demand you will find for other physical items such as trading cards, art, or classic cars.
You could also create your own NFT but there is no guarantee of a buyer and you could end up wasting your time and money.
Like Bitcoin, you can buy and sell NFTs on specialized online marketplaces.
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How to create, buy and sell NFTs, part two
If you’ve chosen Ethereum as your blockchain, here’s what you’ll need to mint your NFT.
First sellers will need an Ethereum wallet, such as MetaMask, Trust Wallet or Coinbase Wallet.
Next you will need around $50-$100 in ether.
Once you have these, you can connect your wallet and upload the music, image, or file that you want to turn into an NFT.
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How to create, buy and sell NFTs
NFTs are tradable, unique items that have taken the internet by storm in recent months.
Some of the virtual assets have sold for millions of dollars, but most people still have no clue what they are – or where you can buy and sell them.
To create an NFT, you need to choose what to create — from artwork, music, collectibles, digital trading cards, movies, video footage, and more.
Then choose which blockchain you want to issue your NFT on and get ready to sell.
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Bitcoin milestone, part two
Bitcoin was created in 2009 by an unknown computer whizz using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto.
Data from Blockchain.com on Monday showed 18.9 million of the 20,999,999,9769 possible Bitcoins had been mined.
It’s a milestone that took 12 years to reach.
Experts believe the last Bitcoin will be mined in February 2140.
One Bitcoin is currently worth around $47,000.
Value could shoot up as the coins become more scarce, experts said.
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Less than 10 percent of Bitcoin left to mine
There is less than 10 percent of Bitcoin left to mine as the cryptocurrency passed a major milestone in December.
Data from Blockchain.com showed 18.9million out of a possible 21million of the virtual coins have been mined.
Bitcoin is the world’s first entirely virtual currency and new currency is created by mining, a complex online process that uses computer code.
It involves using a computer to solve a mathematical problem with a 64-digit solution to create new coins.
For each problem solved, one block of Bitcoin is processed. The miner that is first to solve the problem is rewarded with a new Bitcoin.
These new coins are then stored virtually through an online database called the blockchain.
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Man loses $1.6million, part three
The app demanded $1.5million from the victim and threatened to freeze his account if he didn’t pay.
“I go look on the FBI site and lo and behold, there’s this public alert about this type of scam,” he told the news outlet. “I’m 52, my entire life savings, gone in a matter of a month.”
The common scam, which involves meeting someone on a dating app, depositing money into a fake investment app (which is constantly changed, renamed or deleted) then losing it all, is called the “Pig Butchering Scam,” KMGH-TV detailed.
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Man loses $1.6million, part two
The man said he successfully deposited funds into the account, including money from his retirement accounts.
He was reportedly able to withdraw cryptocurrency too, until he attempted to take out more.
A “customer service agent” with the app told him “you need to repay the loan before you can withdraw cash from your account,” KMGH-TV reported.
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Man loses $1.6million in scam
A man says he lost his life savings in a scheme dubbed the “Pig Butchering Scam.”
The 52-year-old told Denver ABC affiliate KMGH-TV that he met a woman on a dating app who appeared to have similar interests to him.
The conversation turned to cryptocurrency, something he’d made about $70,000 on in a few years.
The man told the news outlet that the woman he fell for online convinced him to invest on a mobile and web app that seemed legitimate to the software engineer.
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Fake websites and crypto
One fairly widespread scamming technique involves websites that appear to be a new cryptocurrency mining operation or investment opportunity.
The sites encourage investors to wire in money, sometimes offering investment “tiers” and promising greater returns.
But when users attempt to withdraw their cash, they are unable to and told to input even more cryptocurrency.
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Crypto scams and dating apps
Some cryptocurrency scam operations have started using dating apps to reel in potential targets.
In some reports, scammers pose as a long-distance love interest sharing a hot new cryptocurrency opportunity.
About 20 percent of the money lost through dating scams in the last year reportedly involved cryptocurrency.
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How to check for blockchain scams
Cryptocurrencies operate on blockchain networks.
Scammers often claim their blockchain is “in development” or “about to be released,” but all legitimate cryptos will have an accompanying website to verify the currency.
Users can type the name of the crypto into any search engine with the phrase “blockchain explorer” or “blockchain scan” to find the connected blockchain, if it even exists.
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What is a blockchain?
A blockchain is where encrypted data can be transferred securely, making it nearly impossible to duplicate or counterfeit.
This ledger is the foundation of any cryptocurrency transaction.
The cryptocurrency allows people to trade currency or assets digitally outside of any government or bank.
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What is the Metaverse? continued
Meta’s VR boss Andrew Bosworth said: “The metaverse is a set of virtual 3D spaces where you can share immersive experiences with each other when you can’t be together.”
“What comes after the internet? Instead of looking at a screen, you get to be in the experiences.
“You don’t have to experience it in VR. Most people initially will experience it on screens they already have.”
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg called it “the next version of the internet,” and predicted the true metaverse will be ready within the decade.
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What is the Metaverse?
The Metaverse has a broad definition. It is an internet, but it is immersive – so you live within it.
The platform will have games, social networks, videos, shopping, health and fitness and more.
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What are Altcoins, continued
Simon Peters, crypto-asset analyst at eToro, said: “They build on the success of bitcoin by slightly changing the rules, economics or use cases to appeal to different users.”
“Altcoins vary greatly in their use cases and practical application. They typically have a form of technology they underpin or provide a liquidity solution to a product or service.”
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What are Altcoins?
Altcoin stands for alternative coin, a type of virtual currency that uses the so-called blockchain to allow secure transactions.
Altcoin is a category of cryptocurrency rather than a currency itself, and there are more than 900 different altcoins available.
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Alexis Ohanian on co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Conclusion
“I’ve never been more excited about the potential of the Internet,” Ohanian added.
“And that’s largely thanks to Vitalik Buterin.”
Buterin is the co-founder of Ethereum and also co-founded Bitcoin Magazine in 2011.
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Alexis Ohanian on co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Continued
“No one person could’ve possibly come up with all of the uses for Ethereum, but it did take one person’s idea to get it started,” Ohanian added about Buterin.
“From there, a new world has opened up, and given rise to new ways of leveraging blockchain technology—some of which I’ve invested in.”
“Whether it’s startups like Sorare reinventing fantasy sports or Rainbow users showing off their NFT collections, none of this would’ve existed without Vitalik’s creation.”
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Alexis Ohanian on co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin
“Thanks to Reddit’s r/Ethereum community, I’ve had the privilege of following Vitalik Buterin’s career from early on, which is why I’ve taken a certain pride in watching his legacy grow,” Ohanian wrote of the programmer.
“Sure, we can talk about the value he’s created as the platform’s co-founder, including Ethereum’s impressive market cap of around $400 billion, the dazzling world of decentralized apps and this year’s boom in the trading of NFTs.”
“What makes Vitalik so special, though, is that he is a builder’s builder.”
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Co-founder of Ethereum named a TIME100 most influential person
One of the co-founders of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2021.
Former executive chair of Reddit Alexis Ohanian praised him in a write-up for the piece.
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El Salvador adopts Bitcoin, continued
However, those who do not have access to technologies that can carry out Bitcoin are excluded from being required to accept it.
The US dollar and Bitcoin are now the country’s official currencies.
It’s the first time Bitcoin has been adopted as a legal tender in a sovereign nation.
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El Salvador adopts Bitcoin
The nation’s president Nayib Bukele passed a bill in June that stated that from September 7, Bitcoin can be used in any transaction and all businesses must accept the e-currency as payment.
The law also states that tax contributions can be paid via Bitcoin and exchanges in the cryptocurrency will not be subject to capital gains tax.
Under the new law, El Salvador will “promote necessary training and mechanisms so that the population can access [Bitcoin] transactions.”
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Banks embrace crypto, continued
Executives at large banks are beginning to hop on the cryptocurrency train as some invest their time in learning about the new payment method.
Bank of America spokesman Mark Pipitone told the New York Times, “The bank sees potential in blockchain, and we’re currently a leading patent holder in the space with more than 160 patents. But we still haven’t found a use at scale to make the financial lives of customers and clients better.”
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Banks embrace crypto
Banks are paying for slowly catching on to the future of cryptocurrency as they struggle to benefit and profit.
As cryptocurrency start-ups explode, they are starting to offer credit cards and loans while banks are left in the dust.
According to the New York Times, “Bank of America’s chief executive, Brian Moynihan, barred the giant company’s wealth managers from putting any client money into cryptocurrency-related investments.”